The European Handball Federation has successfully tested a new goal-line camera system that could provide referees with a clearer view of the most difficult goal-line decisions.
The system was tested during the Women’s EHF EURO Cup Finals in Bucharest at the end of September. Following the successful trial, the cameras will be installed at all six venues hosting the Women’s EHF EURO 2026.
The key breakthrough has been finding a way to place the cameras directly above the goal line – something that had previously not been possible in handball. There are two cameras in each goal, positioned at the junction between the posts and the crossbar. They have been integrated into the metal frame and the wooden structure on the inside of the posts.
This gives the cameras a direct view of the goal line, reducing the need for visual interpretation when determining whether the ball has completely crossed the line.
George Bebetsos, Head of the EHF Officiating Unit, described the development as “a technical milestone not met in any other goal sport.”
The new system will make its major championship debut at the Women’s EHF EURO 2026, which will be played across Poland, Romania, Czechia, Slovakia and Türkiye from 3 to 20 December.
The cameras are expected to provide officials with a more precise tool for some of the most marginal goal-line decisions in handball.